I am on a week off of chemotherapy before starting cycle 5. unfortunately, I have a bladder infection and it is slowing me down. When you get a bladder infection or any infection when on chemotherapy you have to be very careful. You should take your temperature every day and if you spike a temperature, you have to go to the emergency room right away for intravenous antibiotics. Your Oncologist will give you guidelines of what degree of a temperature he or she would want you to go on antibiotics for. Bladder infections are tricky as you may not have a temperature, but just have malaise, back pain or burning when you urinate. You may also have frequent urination. For me, I have had frequent urination issues all the time I have been on chemotherapy. Everyone is different and I suggest you do your best to get in tune with your body. I sometimes have a hard time with my symptoms and do not always explain myself correctly so I have to really think about the question asked to me to describe how I feel.

I wanted to give a shout out to the Ceres food program in Northern California. They are a fantastic organization that was kind enough to assist me with healthy food for a 12 week program. The food is very good and all cancer fighting. I am so grateful. I mentioned in my last blog to check with your Oncologist if you are having financial difficulty like myself and family. Many places around the world have organizations to assist patients with food.

We have not had luck yet on finding mortgage assistance for cancer patients. Some places have programs for utilities though and senior centers can be a good resource for references.

One of the meals we just had was walnut meatloaf, but it was all veggies and it tasted like traditional meatloaf. It was amazing. The Ceres Program has a cookbook and I plan to get it in the future when I can afford it. I was told that all the recipes are what they prepare and serve when you are on the program so I am very excited about that.

I get to go for a urinalysis in the AM. I have to think of all my appointments as fun as “I am going to be cured from cancer, I am going to be cured from cancer, I am going to be cured from cancer!. We all deserve to be well and meet our financial obligations. Keep the faith. If you feel negative as I often get, sage is a good cleanser of your home. Purchase it dried and light some of it and go through your home in each room, by doors and window and say positive affirmations. It may sound silly, but I felt better. We all need to do what works for us.

I finally finished cycle four of chemotherapy. I have been under so much stress from my health to finances that it has been a very challenging cycle. I feel like I am being challenged every day. I have had to work very hard at keeping myself positive and that has not been easy. Being positive in my outlook is extremely important and I realize my health comes first, but not having our mortgage payment this month is freaking me and my family out! My children have been checking into programs, but we have not had any luck. “Somehow our mortgage will get paid, somehow our mortgage will get paid, somehow our mor-gage will get paid.”

My daughter was able to get us an organization that is a food program to help patients with have cancer and are on chemotherapy. It is a meal donation program that is in my local area. If you have cancer and are reading this, ask your Oncologist if there are any meal assistance programs in your area. We are so grateful for this help as it is healthy meals prepared with cancer fighting foods. I also is a way to teach you how to learn to eat right now and for the rest of your life. I had butternut squash that was topped with ground chicken, tabouli and garbanzo beans. I also had a kale salad. It was very good.

As far as my health, I am doing well with treatment except for the usual anemia, low red blood cells and low white blood cells. I had to take neulasta again to build my white blood cells again. I am still anemic, but not low enough for blood, so I am taking iron. I still feel very weak, but have been doing as much exercise as possible. I still do my best to consume up to 12 glasses of water, tea or juice. Green tea is very good against fighting cancer. I also drink Odwalla super green food, carrot juice, orange juice and lots of water.

I have kept up with taking many vitamins and minerals such as A, E, B-12, Cranberry, coral calcium, selenium, turmeric and Protandim which I get from http://www.livelife healer.com

Well, I am going to keep the faith that somehow our mortgage will get paid and I will keep working through my chemotherapy. I will survive. We will all be strong together.

I have absolutely been worn out since my second dose of chemo on cycle four. Turns out my Hemoglobin dropped to 9 again. My Nurse Practitioner had me get a shot of Aransp which builds red blood cells, but I am still wiped out. I may need blood again, but that is on hold for now as they want to see how I do with the Aransp. When my hemoglobin gets this low my legs are weak and I get short of breath. I have been doing my physical therapy exercises, but that has been a huge chore. I am grateful for everything and I know that this is just how chemotherapy goes, but yes it is a bitch.

I am working at being positive and I know that health and money will come. “Yes, I know health and money will come, health and money will come, health and money will come.” My children are always working to keep me positive and they have been doing all they can to sell things we have and look for assistance programs. The assistance programs are very limited, but they are still searching for financial help.

I am eating well and have not been nauseated lately which is wonderful. I also have been drinking more and more water for hydration. I have that constant issue with constipation and dehydration. We all have to remember that on chemo you must flush the system with 12 glasses of water a day and to stay away from caffeine. To anyone out there just smile as much as you can and be grateful for each day. You just never know what tomorrow may bring. In fact, it may be the best day of your life!

I have had such a hard time staying positive lately that I attended a healing gathering tonight. It was very inspirational and had gathering of ministries. I feel like I have a bit of a handle on myself, but need to work at being positive. I let myself get upset about my health and financial situation. I am so upset still that my family has worked so hard to save our home and as each month passes, it gets harder and harder to come up with our mortgagepayment. As I have to believe, it will come and it will happen just as I will be cured. “I will get our mortgage payment and I will be healed, I will get or mortgage payment and I will be healed, I will get our mortgage payment and I will be healed.”

When we are dealing with things we cannot control it is normal to get depressed and negative. We all need to not allow this feeling as it is not productive to good health. I got myself in the pool to exercise yesterday and today I also went to the chiropractor. I have to keep reminding myself that we have to heal mind, body and spirit.

I am continuing my regime of an herbal supplement which I got at http://www.livelifehealer.com which I feel makes me have more energy, less pain and better mental clarity. It is called Protandim. I recommend the site to you. My son has been taking it and his cholesterol dropped 80 points and my daughter who also uses it said her arthritis has improved greatly. My Oncologist is all for it as he feels it is helping me and said to keep it up. My tumor markers are now in normal range and he said that this indicates my chemotherapy is working. I also juice daily with Odwalla super green food as well as eat vegetables, fruits, protein drinks, greek yogurt and much more.

I have chemotherapy in the morning so it is off to bed. Keep believing in yourself and enjoy each day.

I started my fourth round of chemotherapy three days ago. I have been very tired, but felt a bit stronger today. My Nurse Practitioner decided to reduce my chemotherapy medications a bit as she thought they were possible getting too toxic for me. My last dose had made me very sick and I am still weak from that. I take Taxol and Carboplatin. I did not qualify to get blood this time. I am still taking iron though just to help me keep as strong as possible. I have really had to force myself to drink as much water and juices possible so I do not get dehydrated. I am sorry I have not been blogging much lately. I have just felt so tired this last month. I will do my best to get back to blogging more often. This last month I have had to force myself to exercise, drink water and get out of bed. For anyone else who feels like this with chemotherapy just know “shit happens”. My Nurse practitioner even told my daughter and myself not to stress about feeling overwhelmed and frustrated about finances, it just happens and we have to allow ourselves to cry and vent. We have been doing both when we feel the need. I just suggest that if you need to cry you do. I will hang in there and keep on going. My best to everyone.